Remember the mall?
If you wanted to observe the quirks of human nature, you’d go to the local mall, park yourself on a bench with a 32- or 64-ounce pop, and take in the spectacle. The slow walkers. Teenagers lounging outside a clothing store. Elderly couples power-walking. It was a masterclass in social behavior delivered in real time.
Now, we people-watch differently. Instead of peering over a latte at a food court, we scroll through Twitter, binge-watch TikTok, and dissect the comment sections of Reddit threads. We’ve traded physical proximity for digital immersion, turning the Internet into a global mall – one where everyone is both a shopper and a storefront, a consumer and a performer.
But give this some thought. Has the Internet really changed how we engage with others, or has it refined and digitized the age-old pleasure of watching, judging, and interpreting human behavior? Does this realization change how we think about how we use the Internet?
Before we dive in, here’s a snapshot of the five most downloaded Internet apps in 2024:
- TikTok
- Temu
The Ultimate Public Square
One of the great misconceptions about the Internet is that its primary purpose is utility – giving us access to information, allowing us to work remotely, or enabling online shopping. Are we being honest with ourselves? Most of what we do online has little to do with necessity and far more to do with curiosity.
Consider social media. In theory, it helps us stay connected with family and friends. In practice, it’s a sprawling stage where people curate their lives with the meticulousness of a museum exhibit. Facebook is the potluck block party. Twitter is the downtown dive bar. Instagram is the glossy fashion magazine. TikTok is the sketchy house party where someone always does something vaguely unhinged.
If the Internet were purely about efficiency, we’d all log on, check our emails, order groceries, and log off. But we don’t. We linger. We scroll. We watch. Because, at its core, the Internet satisfies a deep human need to observe, analyze, and understand other people.
From the Mall to the Algorithm
People-watching at the mall had its limitations. You had to be in the right place at the right time to witness the most entertaining displays of human nature. Online, the spectacle never stops. Algorithms curate our feeds, ensuring we see exactly what intrigues us most, from dramatic customer service meltdowns to heartwarming pet reunions.
Unlike the mall, where we waited for entertainment, the Internet delivers it on demand, shaping our experience based on our habits. And we engage with it the same way we always have:
- We comment and analyze.
- We share intriguing content.
- We pass judgment.
The Internet hasn’t changed our urge to observe human behavior. It’s just increased the size of our “mall” and the intensity of the spectacle.
And we have front-row seats.
Why This Matters?
Too often, Internet Service Providers market their offerings in purely functional terms: “Gigabit speeds! No data caps! Best coverage in town!” But this is like a mall advertising how clean its floors are or how fast its escalators move. Yes, these things matter, but they aren’t the reason people come.
Individuals don’t buy the Internet just to “have Internet.” We buy it because it gives us access to an endless stream of human stories. We buy it to connect, watch, learn, judge, and share. Yes, we buy it for the joy of seeing a viral video unfold in real time or being part of a heated debate on the latest cultural phenomenon.
But…
If the Internet is just a high-tech version of the mall, we should expect its evolution to continue mirroring real-world behaviors. Virtual reality may one day replace scrolling, letting us people-watch in fully immersive digital spaces. AI-generated influencers may blur the line between real and artificial, making our digital observations even more surreal.
But one thing won’t change. Our relentless fascination with each other. Whether at the mall or behind a screen, we will always be watching, interpreting, and, let’s be honest, sometimes judging.
CLtel Internet is about connection, not complications. And that’s why digital harmony – the ability to connect without friction, to watch without buffering, and to share without delay – will always be essential. Because in the world’s biggest digital mall, you should never be stuck waiting for the page to load.
